Chapter 32: South and Southeast Asia, 1200 to 1980

Preview: The Sultanate of Delhi was created in 1206, establishing Muslim rule in northern India, and Delhi’s first mosque was erected, the Might of Islam Mosque with its 238-foot Qutb Minar minaret. The Delhi sultans were defeated in 1526 and the Mughal Empire reigned there until 1857, when British rule was established. Mughal period art includes highly refined art manuscript illustration and the magnificent Taj Mahal, which was built in the mid-17th century as a memorial to Shah Jahan’s favorite wife. Hindu Rajput kings ruled northwestern India during the Mughal Empire, and Rajput painting develops along lines distinct from the Mughal style. In southern India, the Vijayanagar Empire (1336-1565) was a powerful Hindu kingdom, and its buildings mix Islamic and Hindu architectural styles. During the Nayak dynasty (1529-1736) in southern India, great Hindu temple complexes were constructed, while in Thailand and Myanmar, remarkable Buddhist statuary were produced along with the Schwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon, one of the largest stupas in the world. During the British Colonial Period (1857-1947), art and architecture in the subcontinent shows a blend of Asian and Western styles, a typical example being the Victoria Terminus in Mumbai. After India and Pakistan gained independence in 1947, artists continued traditional and modern practices reflecting both native and Western influence.

Key Figures: Babur (ruler), Akbar the Great, Jaswant Singh, Mahatma Gandhi

Key Artists: Bichitr, Chatar Muni, Basawan, Sahifa Banu

Key Cultural & Religious Terms: shaykh, sultan, sultanate, Hamzanama, Royal Polyglot Bible, Akbarnama (History of Akbar), taj, maharana, mudra

Key Art & Architectural Terms: miniature painting, underglaze, mosque, minaret, vimanas, garbha griha, barrel vault, groin vault, stupa, pagoda, gopuras

Lecture Notes:

Introductory Notes:

SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA, 1200 TO 1980

India:

Sultanate of Delhi:

  • Qutb Minar, begun early 13th century, and Alai Darvaza, 1311
  • Description & architectural features:
  • Function & significance:

Vijayanagar Empire:

  • Lotus Mahal, Vijayanagara, India, 15th or early 16th century
  • Description & architectural features:
  • Function & significance:

Mughal Empire:

  • Bichitr, Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaykh to Kings, ca. 1615–1618
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:
  • Basawan and Chatar Muni, Akbar and the Elephant Hawai, folio 22 from the Akbarnama (History of Akbar) by Abul Fazl, ca. 1590
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:
  • Abdul Hasan and Manohar, Darbar of Jahangir, ca. 1620
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:
  • Sahifa Banu, Shah Tahmasp Meditating, early 17th century
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:
  • Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 1632-1647
  • Description & architectural features:
  • Function & significance:

Hindu Rajput Kingdoms:

  • Krishna and Radha in a Pavilion, ca. 1760
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:
  • Krishna and the Gopis, ca. 1550
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:

Nayak Dynasty:

  • Outermost gopuras of the Great Temple, Madurai, India, completed 17th century
  • Description & architectural features:
  • Function & significance:

The British in India:

  • Frederick W. Stevens, Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus), Mumbai (Bombay), India, 1878-1887
  • Description & architectural features:
  • Function & significance:
  • Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Marwar, ca. 1880
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:
  • Tagore, Bharat Mata, 1905
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:

20th Century:

  • Meera Mukherjee, Ashoka at Kalinga, 1972
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:
  • Xu Bing, A Book from the Sky, 1987
  • Medium, scale:
  • Subject & significance:

Southeast Asia:

Thailand:

  • Walking Buddha, from Sukhothai, Thailand, 14th century
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:
  • Emerald Buddha, Emerald Temple, Bangkok, Thailand, 15th century
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:

Myanmar:

  • Schwedagon Pagoda, Rangoon (Yangon), Myanmar (Burma), 14th
  • Description & architectural features:
  • Function & significance:

Vietnam:

  • Dish with two mynah Birds on flowering branch, from Vietnam, 16th century
  • Medium, scale:
  • Description, subject & stylistic features:
  • Significance:

Concluding notes:

Exercises for Study:

1. Define the following terms and give an example of a building for each:

minaret

vimana

mandapa

gopura

2. Describe the purpose and probable symbolic meaning of the Taj Mahal.

3. Describe how the Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) blends traditional Indian and Western architectural features.

4. Compare and contrast the following pairs of artworks, using the points of comparison as a guide.

A. Great Temple, Madurai (Fig. 32-8); Schwedagon Pagoda, Rangoon (Yangon) (Fig. 32-14)

  • Architectural features:
  • Decorative features:
  • Function of buildings/religious traditions:

B. Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Marwar (Fig. 32-10); Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaykh to Kings (Fig. 32-1)

  • Location & period:
  • Medium, materials, & scale:
  • Stylistic features:
  • Subject & themes: